Rev. Barlow's message begins roughly 46 minutes and 10 seconds into the video.
5 Takeaways from Rev. Barlow’s Message at KUUF
Hope Over Optimism
2. Hunger for Justice is a Sign
3. Joy is an Act of Resistance
4. Justice is Not Served Well by Our Exhaustion
5. Justice is Calling Your Name
See excerpts from the sermon immediately below.
Hope Over Optimism
“Our actions do matter. Hope, not optimism. What's the difference? I'm so glad you asked. You see, I think I got this funny spirit thing going on with me right now. You see, hope is an active emotion focused on achieving a specific goal, often in the face of uncertainty with a belief in one's ability to act. Optimism on the other hand is more of a general passive mindset of expecting positive outcomes because the odds are perceived to be in one's favor. But I've learned along the journey that favor is not always fair. The key difference is that hope is an act of pursuit while optimism is a belief about future success. Now I often say this and this is critically important. I often say this because it's true. Hopeful expectation, hopeful expectation for the future is not a license for idleness in the present.”
Hunger for Justice is a Sign
“You see you see our hunger for justice is just a sign that our moral imagination is still alive. It's evidence that our spirits have not given up. And if you have a hunger for justice, if you are uncomfortable, if you are restless, take it as sacred information. Just being with others in this fellowship who share the journey is a source of nourishment. Learning nourishes us. It expands our understanding of oppression and liberation. We are fed. We are nourished by one another. And my favorite of all of those is we are nourished by action. It is our collective efforts where a little becomes a lot. Where small contributions do indeed add up and make a lasting impact.”
Joy is an Act of Resistance
“I have learned joy is an act of resistance. Right. The quote that joy is an act of resistance is attributed to the poet Toi Derricotte. The phrase signifies that embracing joy, hope, and delight in the face of oppression, despair, and hardship is a powerful act of defiance and a source of strength and resilience for individuals as well as communities. You see, the idea suggests that choosing to be joyful is a disruptive act that counters the narratives of powerlessness and despair and provides the energy needed to continue fighting for change. Joy encourages people to find and cultivate joy through connection, celebration, acts of kindness. As these actions build resilience and community, these actions build resilience and community in the face of suffering. You see, the idea suggests that choosing to be joyful is a disruptive act that counters the narratives of powerlessness and despair and provides the energy needed to continue fighting for change. Joy encourages people to find and cultivate joy through connection, celebration, acts of kindness. As these actions build resilience and community, these actions build resilience and community in the face of suffering.”
Justice Is Not Served Well By Our Exhaustion
“We respond first by honoring our limits. And this is critically important because I know sometimes we spread ourselves way too thin. We respond by honoring our limits. Justice is not served well by our exhaustion. It's not served well by guilt. Is not served well by frantic moral performance….Just being with others in this fellowship who share the journey is a source of nourishment. Learning nourishes us. It expands our understanding of oppression and liberation. We are fed. We are nourished by one another. And my favorite of all of those is we are nourished by action. It is our collective efforts where a little becomes a lot. Where small contributions do indeed add up and make a lasting impact.”
Justice is Calling Your Name
“What is your hunger telling you? Where is justice calling your name? What is the one act, small but real, that could feed that hunger? Maybe it's reaching out to someone who is hurting. Maybe it's choosing to be curious instead of defensive. Maybe it's attending the next meeting or action meeting or prayer vigil. Maybe it's donating or volunteering. Maybe it's learning something difficult but necessary. Maybe it's simply refusing to give up hope. Whatever it is, my dear brothers and sisters, listen to that hunger. Honor that hunger. Follow it. and trust it because it's that hunger that becomes a seed of transformation that can make a difference not only in your lives but in the lives of others. It is a ember of the sacred. It is the voice of the world that could be calling each of us toward and into the work, the joy and the solidarity and the courage of justice. May we answer that call with open hearts. May we nourish one another. And may our hunger lead us toward an even brighter future.”